Apply for the Changemakers for Youth Programme 2027 - funded fellowship, in-person summit, travel stipend, and seed funding for youth social innovators.
Applications are officially open for the second cohort of the Changemakers for Youth Programme 2027, a flagship three-year initiative convened by the global network ChangemakerXchange with principal funding and support from the Drosos Foundation. Designed to empower, connect, and elevate the next generation of social entrepreneurs, the programme supports visionary founders and community leaders aged 18 to 35 who are tackling acute social, economic, and environmental challenges across Europe and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.
Across the three-year initiative, 80 exceptional changemakers receive transformative capacity building, bespoke executive mentorship, and lifetime access to a worldwide alumni network of more than 1,000 changemakers across 130 countries. Selected participants engage in an intensive hybrid journey featuring online masterclasses, peer wellbeing circles, an all-expenses-covered 5-day in-person summit in mid-March 2027, and access to catalytic cross-border seed funding to launch joint social initiatives.
Application deadline: November 9, 2026 at 23:59 UTC+2. Candidates from eligible countries requiring financial support can request a dedicated travel stipend covering flights, train/bus tickets, official visa costs, and layover accommodations.
Quick Facts - Changemakers for Youth Programme 2027
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Convening Organisation | ChangemakerXchange (CXC) |
| Funding & Partner Foundation | Drosos Foundation |
| Host Region & Landmark | Giza / Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬 (The Great Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx) |
| Target Candidates | Social entrepreneurs, NGO founders, and civic innovators aged 18 - 35 |
| Eligible Countries | Egypt, Germany (Eastern Germany impact), Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Switzerland, and Tunisia |
| Program Format | Hybrid (Virtual diagnostics & coaching + 5-day in-person summit) |
| In-Person Summit | Mid-March 2027 (5 days in the MENA region, venue revealed to selected cohort) |
| Summit Hospitality | 100% of hotel accommodation, catering, materials, and summit transport covered |
| Travel Stipend | Available upon request (flights, trains, buses, visa fees, layovers, travel insurance) |
| Seed Funding | Available for collaborative cross-border ventures co-created by participants |
| Application Fee | $0 (Free to apply) |
| Application Deadline | November 9, 2026 (23:59 UTC+2) |
| Official Application Gateway | changemakerxchange.org/changemakers-for-youth |
Geographic Scope: Eight Eligible Countries
The Changemakers for Youth Programme brings together a curated cross-regional cohort across North Africa, the Levant, and Europe:
- North Africa: Egypt 🇪🇬, Morocco 🇲🇦, Tunisia 🇹🇳
- Middle East & Levant: Jordan 🇯🇴, Lebanon 🇱🇧, Palestine 🇵🇸
- Europe: Germany 🇩🇪 (applicants must live, work, and generate direct social or environmental impact in Eastern Germany), Switzerland 🇨🇭
Applicants must permanently reside, work, and lead an active initiative creating tangible positive outcomes within at least one of these designated countries.
Core Programme Pillars & Methodology
ChangemakerXchange combines social innovation strategy with holistic leadership development across four distinct phases:
- Organizational Diagnostics & Capacity Building (February 2027): Fellows undergo structured needs assessments to identify operational, financial, and governance bottlenecks. ChangemakerXchange matches teams with seasoned mentors to refine strategic roadmaps.
- 5-Day In-Person Changemaker Summit (Mid-March 2027): An intimate, experiential residential summit hosted in the MENA region. Sessions focus on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer, mental wellbeing and burnout prevention, cross-cultural collaboration, and systems-change methodologies.
- Cross-Border Collaborative Seed Grants (From Late March 2027): Fellows collaborate in international teams to co-design multinational social initiatives. Winning cross-border proposals receive catalytic seed grant capital to pilot their collaborative ventures.
- Lifelong Global Community Membership: Graduating fellows receive permanent access to ChangemakerXchange’s global alumni ecosystem, unlocking future grant rounds, international speaker invitations, and peer mastermind circles.
Comprehensive Financial Support & Travel Stipend
ChangemakerXchange and the Drosos Foundation ensure that financial constraints never prevent exceptional youth leaders from participating:
- All Summit Expenses Fully Funded: Accommodation, daily catering and meals, workshop materials, venue hire, professional facilitation, and scheduled local transfers during the 5-day summit are 100% paid by the programme.
- Travel Stipend Upon Request: While participants with independent organisational budgets are encouraged to contribute to their transport, applicants can request a travel stipend covering:
- Roundtrip international economy flights, regional train tickets, or intercity bus fares
- Official visa application and processing fees
- Mandatory international travel medical insurance
- Necessary layover hotel accommodation when direct transit routes are unavailable
- Need-Blind Travel Assessment: Requesting financial travel assistance is evaluated independently on a case-by-case basis and will never disadvantage or penalize an applicant during merit-based candidate selection.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for Cohort 2 of the Changemakers for Youth Programme 2027, candidates must satisfy all of the following requirements:
- Age Window: Must be aged between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application submission.
- Country of Residence & Impact: Must permanently live, work, and generate demonstrable social or environmental impact in Egypt, Germany (Eastern Germany impact), Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Switzerland, or Tunisia.
- Venture Leadership: Must serve as the primary founder, co-founder, executive director, or primary decision-maker in an operational social enterprise, grassroots non-profit, or community initiative.
- Focus on Youth Agency: The initiative must specifically aim to strengthen the agency, employability, well-being, education, or civic participation of young people.
- Proven Traction: The venture must have moved past the initial conceptual or ideation stage, showing measurable results and community engagement.
- Language Proficiency: Fluency in spoken and written English, as all summit workshops, presentations, and collaborations take place in English.
- Full Attendance & Commitment: Ability to participate in the virtual kickoff call in February 2027, attend all 5 days of the in-person summit in mid-March 2027, and engage in scheduled virtual check-ins through late 2027.
Selection Framework & Evaluation Criteria
Applications are reviewed by an international selection committee using a comprehensive scoring model:
- Social Impact & Youth Focus (30%): Depth, relevance, and quantifiable outcomes of the venture in improving young people's lives and empowering local communities.
- Collaborative Potential & Openness (25%): Motivation to actively contribute to peer learning, cross-border problem solving, and multinational partnership co-creation.
- Leadership & Personal Motivation (25%): Commitment to social change, resilience, emotional self-awareness, and dedication to personal and professional development.
- Feasibility & Organizational Viability (20%): Operational maturity of the venture, clarity of long-term vision, and sustainability of the operating model.
Programme Timeline & Key Deadlines
- October 13, 2026: Open call launches globally.
- November 9, 2026 (23:59 UTC+2): Application Deadline.
- November 20 - December 19, 2026: Virtual panel interviews for shortlisted candidates.
- January 13, 2027: Final selection notifications issued via email.
- First Week of February 2027: 2-hour virtual cohort onboarding session.
- Late February 2027: Comprehensive venture needs assessments and coaching design.
- Mid-March 2027: 5-day residential Changemaker Summit in the MENA region.
- Late March 2027: Public announcement of fellows and launch of collaborative cross-border seed grant applications.
How to Apply Step-by-Step
- Navigate to the official programme gateway at changemakerxchange.org/changemakers-for-youth.
- Carefully review the eligibility parameters and schedule commitments to ensure complete availability for all virtual calls and the mid-March 2027 summit.
- Prepare verified data summarizing your venture’s mission, governance, impact metrics, and target youth demographics.
- If you require financial support for transportation or visa processing, clearly state your travel stipend requirements within the application form.
- Submit your completed application online before the deadline on November 9, 2026 at 23:59 UTC+2.
Official Links & Inquiries
Changemakers for Youth Official Application Gateway
ChangemakerXchange Global Platform
Drosos Foundation Official Website
Official questions regarding the application process can be directed to the ChangemakerXchange team via their portal.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does asking for a travel stipend hurt my selection chances?
No. Selection is strictly merit- and impact-based. Travel stipend requests are assessed separately and will never negatively affect your chance of being chosen for the fellowship.
What expenses are NOT covered by the travel stipend?
Local transport within your home city (such as a taxi to your departure airport) and personal meals or accommodation outside the official summit schedule remain the fellow’s responsibility.
Can two co-founders apply together from the same venture?
Only one participant per organisation can attend the in-person summit. If multiple founders wish to be involved, they must designate one primary representative to attend the summit.
Where will the in-person summit take place?
The 5-day summit is held in the MENA region in mid-March 2027. The exact host city and retreat venue are communicated directly to accepted fellows to facilitate flight bookings and visa arrangements.
What is the seed funding for collaborative projects?
During and following the summit, fellows form cross-border working groups to co-design collaborative initiatives. Teams with viable proposals can apply for seed grants to turn their joint ideas into pilot programs.
